Sigmund Freud, C.S. Lewis to come to life in Actors Collaborative production

“I’m a huge fan of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ as well as ‘The Screwtape Letters,’” he said. “Even in wrestling with my own faith, I have gone to Lewis before to seek out some answers.”

Kizaur will play Lewis in the Actors Collaborative Toledo production of “Freud’s Last Session” at Trinity Episcopal Church, 316 Adams StSt.reet, at 8 p.m. Sept. 27.

The play takes place the day England enters World War II and follows a conversation between Lewis and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. The two debate the existence of God and the meaning of life, among other things. The play is set weeks before Freud took his own life in 1939.

The three men involved, also including Jeff Bell as Freud and director Jeffrey Albright, have worked together before.

“It’s a strange family, these theater people, because you get to know each other very well … the teamwork is so intense,” Bell said.

Bell said when actors are comfortable with each other, the show is more enjoyable.

Bell said the role of Freud is perfect for an actor his age, although he auditioned not knowing anything about the script. Since landing the role, he began research.

“I would say it’s a challenge for me in that he’s a more intellectual man than I am,” he said. “I’ve gone out of my way to do some research. I’ve talked to a couple of mental specialists.”

Kizaur did research too and looked up Lewis’ appearance and dialect.

“I do a lot of character work. Daniel Day-Lewis and I would be good friends,” Kizaur said.

Bell said “Freud’s Last Session” is meant to make the audience think.

“I don’t think we’re going to see any young kids there. I think you’re going to see people interested in thinking,” he said. “You’ve got two points of view that are being jousted by these strong believers of their point of view.”

Albright aims to find provocative plays.

“The goal of Actors Collaborative Toledo is to choose plays that are relevant and thought provoking,” Albright said in an email. “I was drawn to this play because I have always been interested in the idea of religion and science coexisting.”

Sharp: No winners in Israel-Palestine conflict

There can be no winners in the current conflict between Israel and Palestine. There can be no winners when both sides have allowed violence to be the method of decision. Distrust and betrayal of truth by factions of both sides have left the majority of the populations on each side without a proper peaceful recourse.

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Israel exists. It does not exist because it struggled for existence in the manner that legitimizes most other nations. Israel did not come about because Jewish peoples living there negotiated, settled and even fought for a right of self-determination. That may have come to pass, but it was subverted by haughty world dominating powers at the time. Its existence is almost entirely the result of the British Empire exerting its will, along with the aid of the American, French and German governments. The British, under a long tradition of empire building, controlled the lands of Palestine after World War II. The process of control of these lands by Britain and France began in World War I and before. The Europeans were not honest with the local populations or leaders as to their goals. The outsiders planned to displace the indigenous population, as they have often done, to reorganize the world in the manner they see as best. Often the people already there are vehemently opposed to these plans, and rightly so. The target of this justified anger has been often unjustly the Jews and particularly Israel.

There is no going back in time. Israel exists, whether its founding was legitimate or not. But it is now a nation state and in the tradition of its true colonial founders, it has often lost its soul and humanity. When one is aware of the land grabs, domination and control over resources as basic as water and electricity, its imperialist roots are exposed. The nation state of Israel has lost the Jewish experience and faith but retained the European tradition of empire and bigotry. That is not true of the Jewish people as a whole or the Israeli citizen. It appears always true of nation states.

The people of Palestine have not helped their cause. The actions of groups like Hamas do more harm than good. There is no reason to believe that sending missiles aimlessly into Israel, knowing that the majority will be intercepted anyway, will somehow help the cause. When those missiles are fired there are two possible results: 1) They make it through and kill innocents in Israel or 2) They are intercepted but terrorize the local population. Neither will achieve the goals of self-determination of the Palestinians. Today the Palestinian existence is akin to a prison population, denied basic human rights and liberty. Yet indiscriminate acts of violence or political organizing under charters that call for extermination of another group of people betray the Palestinian traditions and faith. This is not the true nature of Palestinians as a whole. Sadly it is true when some act like their oppressors and in the true character of a nation state.

There will likely be a ceasefire. The actual, mental and spiritual wounds inflicted will not heal quickly. Both sides will likely continue not to act in the true manner of their faiths and traditions, but in the modern mores of the colonial empires that brought this tragedy. Outside attemps to broker deals by Europe and America, while they continue the very processes that began it in other parts of the world, will lead to naught. Both sides need a spiritual reawakening. People are dying; people are needlessly suffering. Is it all just for the idea of a nation state, for arbitrary borders? No just God promised a nation state and to exclude the rights of others to exist. This is not a holy war or a war of religious ideals; it is geo-political. There can be no moral high ground, and there can be no winners.

Local religion news website to lose funding

ToledoFAVS.com — a local website covering area religious news — learned that its funding ends May 31, forcing a change in its business model and approach.

David Yonke

The Lilly Endowment, based in Indianapolis, had guaranteed three years of funding to ToledoFAVS in 2011, one of five community-based regional hub sites for Religion News Service of Columbia, Mo. However, ToledoFAVS wasn’t launched until summer 2012, at which point the three-year grant clock had already been ticking.

“I was guaranteed three years of funding, and [believed] we’d likely get another three years, but then I’d have to be self-sustaining,” said David Yonke, ToledoFAVS editor and community manager. The additional three years of funding did not pan out. “After May 31, I don’t have any income unless it’s by donation. I’m going to continue it, but I’m not going to be able to devote as much time to it.

“We were not guaranteed another three years, but there were a lot of indications that we would get another three years. So, I would say it was a surprise,” Yonke said.

Religion News Service Publisher Debra L. Mason indicated in a statement that the original business model was flawed from the start.

“The business model previously relied heavily on grant funds to launch FAVS as a startup,” Mason said. “Unfortunately, the business model we relied upon (which was adapted from Knight Foundation-funded research) overestimated the amount of revenue we could raise via donors and advertising. As a result, our overall budget going forward needed to be cut.”

Under the new business model, Yonke will become a contractor for ToledoFAVS as of June 1.

The site was conceived as a gathering place for nonsectarian coverage of faith and values news (hence FAVS) for Northwest Ohio. Readers embraced the site, generating 20,000 hits per month, second highest among the five hub sites nationwide.

“It will look the same, but right now I’m updating it five times a day,” Yonke said. “That may go to twice a day, depending on how much I get from volunteers. Right now I write four to five stories a week, but that may go down to one a week. We’ve published 2,800 stories since the inception of the site, and with blogs as well, maybe 3,000 stories in 21 months.”

Religion News Service offered nothing but praise for Yonke and ToledoFAVS. Its stories have appeared regularly in Toledo Free Press.

“It was a real pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with David Yonke and the Toledo community,” said Tiffany McCallen, national community manager for Religion News Service. “It has been obvious to me from the beginning that David is a true treasure in his community, a notion that was reflected in the area’s willingness to heartily engage with ToledoFAVS as readers, writers, event-goers and supporters. I have no doubt the community will continue to embrace ToledoFAVS in its new form.”

At least two of the five regional hub sites will cease operation. Yonke hopes to find new funding somewhere, but is not counting on it.

“I don’t think religious leaders know,” Yonke said. “I haven’t tried to really rally the troops, so I don’t think people are aware of it. There’s been some outpouring of support, mostly from regular visitors. I don’t expect to bring in enough money to make it self-sustaining in a month, but maybe in the long term we can build it up and bring in some revenue. It all depends. If some funding does come in, I have big plans for it.

“We would love nothing more than for the community to support this site; that’s in fact what is needed,” Mason said.

Those interested in assisting ToledoFAVS.com through financial or in-kind gifts, can contact Yonke at David.Yonke@ReligionNews.com, or (419) 346-1007.

Theft case shakes local religious institutions

When the former business manager of a West Toledo Catholic church pleaded guilty in federal court Sept. 5 to stealing $525,000 in parish funds, the repercussions were felt at religious institutions throughout the region where multiple thousands of dollars are handled every week.

Patricia Ann Stanz, 61, was described by authorities as “a trusted employee” of Gesu Roman Catholic Church, working at the Parkside Boulevard parish, next to St. Francis de Sales High School, from August 2007 to August 2011.

The thefts reportedly began in June 2008 and continued until Stanz’s termination more than three years later. The case was investigated by the FBI and is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Karol, according to U.S. District Court records.

Stanz told authorities she used most of the stolen funds for gambling.

“This person abused the trust of her employer and the entire congregation,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

As the church’s business manager, Stanz used a rubber stamp with the signature of the parish’s former pastor, the Rev. James Cryan, then signed her name on nearly 100 checks to draw $295,000 from the parish’s checking account with Fifth Third Bank, according to federal officials.

She also withdrew about $200,000 in cash advances using a Gesu credit card, officials said.

“Obviously the parish suffered an extreme monetary loss,” said Toledo City Councilman D. Michael Collins, a former police officer and 35-year member of Gesu Parish. Collins said he was asked by Cryan to help the parish review its policies and practices last December, after the theft had been discovered.

“The greater loss, in my opinion, was to Father James Cryan, who is now retired, and his loss of having placed trust, and then finding that trust had been misplaced,” Collins said. “If there are any lessons to be learned, it is by the laymen who must learn to be responsible for the financial structure of the parish.”

Policies weren’t followed

Indeed, the Toledo Catholic Diocese has extensive guidelines for parishes on handling money responsibly and with oversight, but by all accounts those guidelines went unheeded while Stanz was at Gesu.

“There’s no doubt the policies weren’t followed,” Collins said.

Virtually all of the larger religious organizations have financial guidelines for their members to follow.

The Rev. Larry Clark, pastor of Sylvania First United Methodist Church, said his church has a finance committee of 15 that meets monthly and reviews all the church’s financial records.

Each week, a different set of four people counts the money collected during services, Clark said.

In addition, the church’s financial secretary records who donated what amounts, and a separate person serving as church treasurer submits monthly reports to the finance committee.

“Hopefully, by having enough people involved in the checks and balances, as well as conducting an internal audit each year, we can make sure that it couldn’t happen,” Clark said.

“I never worry about our church at all. We’ve got good checks and balances in place. But if you have somebody smart enough and desperate enough, they probably can get away with it — at least for a while,” he added.

Annual audit

The Rev. Tim Philabaum, pastor of Zoar Lutheran Church in Perrysburg, said a financial audit is performed annually at Zoar, which ensures that the church’s financial books are in order.

“And we have different people handling the income and the outgo of funds,” he said. “The person who writes the checks cannot touch the money that comes in from the offerings.”

The theft at Gesu was the largest local church theft in memory, but certainly not the only one. In March 2010, Toledo police reported that an employee of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Cathedral on Woodley Road had allegedly embezzled $145,000, and last June police reported a suspected embezzlement at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, with $12,000 missing.

Financial guidelines

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), a Christian accreditation agency based in Winchester, Va., sets financial guidelines for its members to ensure that funds are handled properly.

There are 1,700 churches and ministries nationwide that have received ECFA accreditation, with each one agreeing to follow specific mandates on financial oversight.

“Each organization shall prepare complete and accurate financial statements,” ECFA’s policy states. “The board or a committee consisting of a majority of independent members shall approve the engagement of an independent certified public accountant, review the annual financial statements and maintain appropriate communication with the independent certified public accountant. The board shall be apprised of any material weaknesses in internal control or other significant risks,” ECFA’s guidelines state.

Transparency with finances is a biblical principle, ECFA states on its website, and “serves to deter improper diversion of funds and other misdeeds.”

Stanz, meanwhile, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison when she is sentenced, now scheduled for Jan. 14, by Judge James Carr in U.S. District Court.

Collins said it is inappropriate to comment further on the case until the sentence is imposed. But he rejected some people’s suggestion that Cryan drop all charges and forgive Stanz, contending that Jesus preached forgiveness.

“I say that in my world there are two sets of rules: God’s rules and man’s rules,” Collins said. “I can’t control God’s rules but I have a responsibility with man’s rules. What [Stanz] did was an uncivilized act. If there are no consequences to breaking the law, what’s the barrier to create civil behavior? She broke man’s rules, so I say, ‘Throw her in jail.’”

David Yonke is the editor and community manager of ToledoFAVS.com, a website that provides in-depth, nonsectarian news coverage of religion, faith and spirituality in the Toledo area.

New website to educate, discuss, raise religious awareness

A former Blade editor has helped launch a website to get Toledo talking about religion.

ToledoFAVS.com mixes columns and news articles written by religious leaders and followers alike about subjects relating to all forms of religion. David Yonke, who was a religion editor for 12 years, approached the Religion News Service about a year ago about getting the site up and running.

Toledo is the fourth city to see a local “faith and values” site administered by the Religion News Service. Religion News LLC, which is based out of the Missouri School of Journalism, acquired the Religion News Service about a year ago. Seeing that the company was not sustaining itself, Religion News LLC turned the news service into a nonprofit and sought to open sites in local markets to drive up advertising opportunities, said Debra Mason, the publisher.

Yonke

The local sites are also a way to fill the gap left by many daily metro newspapers closing out their religion sections, Mason said.

“We see part of our role as educational and helping to foster a civil discourse about religion and part of our role as telling good stories that many daily newspapers have abandoned and are not telling anymore,” Mason said.

Yonke said he aims to improve religious literacy and acceptance in the area.

“A lot of people are fearful or naive about religions and defensive,” Yonke said. “If they are educated and informed and learn about what other people believe, it will build a better sense of community and understanding. Religion can be a wonderful driving force in people’s lives and it can be abused — the more we can break down the stereotypes, the better.”

Yonke has 11 official contributors and his goal is to get 50-70 writers to update the site with at least three stories a day. Yonke is seeking contributors from all faiths — from Wiccans to pagans and druids to Catholics, mainline protestants, Muslims and Jewish people, he said.

Yonke emphasized that the site will not just be “Theology 101,” but will host a multitude of stories analyzing anything from current events to television shows.

Mason said FAV sites might offer a venue for reporters interested in faith topics to learn their craft and exercise their skills.

“We need to have a place where people can learn how to do it — it takes years to learn how to do religion reporting,” said Mason, who is also on faculty at the Missouri School of Journalism. “We have students coming out of journalism schools who are interested in writing about religion but we don’t have anywhere to send them to do that.”

ToledoFAVS.com and Toledo Free Press have formed a media partnership in which Toledo Free Press will publish articles by Yonke on faith and values and ToledoFAVS will promote Toledo Free Press online. The agreement expands the media partners’ reach in Northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan while giving readers greater and more diverse options for local news and features.

“Every year they try to train and equip Christian church leaders,” said Ben Snyder, a pastor at CedarCreek, in an email. “So whether you’re in the business sector, social sector, whether they work for churches, work for their own business, work in school, you will learn great leadership principles with a Christian focus.”

But the speakers are not all themselves Christians.

“The Summit team really believes that Christians can’t just bury their heads in the sand,” Snyder said. “Sometimes you need to reach out to some of the best and brightest minds in leadership and leadership development and learn from them.”

Willow Creek Church will host the conference in South Barrington, Ill., with an expected total audience — including satellite locations — of 165,000 globally, Snyder said. CedarCreek Church will stream at both campuses — 29129 Lime City Rd., in Perrysburg and 2600 W. Sylvania Ave. in Toledo.

CedarCreek’s price of admission is $169 for a Willow Creek Association member group of 10 or more, $209 for WCA members, $269 for individuals, $99 for active military members and $79 for students and faculty. Visit www.cedarcreek.tv/summit to register.

Billboard from atheist group removed second time

An organization that placed a billboard in Ohio supporting atheism says it has been taken down for the second time after eliciting a complaint.

The ad in Columbus from the Freedom From Religion Foundation featured the smiling face of a local nonbeliever and the man’s message: “I can be good without God.”

The Foundation says the billboard was removed July 5 by Clear Channel Communications, the company that erected it, after a complaint from a business owner the group did not name. The ad had first been moved after it was taken down in June from property owned by a church when the pastor objected.

The sign had upset Rev. Waymon Malone of Christ Cathedral Church. The church owned the land where the billboard first went up. Malone was unavailable for comment, but his mother-in-law told The Columbus Dispatch that the pastor ordered the ad be removed.

The Foundation says it has been assured that the billboard will again be relocated.

The ad is one of seven the group is sponsoring in Columbus for a month.

Church to give away food on April 16

Crossroads Church in Ottawa Lake is hosting a free food giveaway from 10 a.m. to noon April 16.

Last year’s food giveaway brought more than 300 cars, said Becky Fielder, office manager of Crossroads.

“We’re hoping it will help people with an Easter meal,” Fielder said.

They buy the food in large pallets from a food bank in Detroit and also collect food donations. The pallets are placed around the parking lot so people can drive their cars through while volunteers hand them the bags of food.

“It is so much fun and the people that serve get so much more out of it than the people that receive,” Fielder said. “It’s really, really fun to help people and just come together.”

Other churches involved with the food giveaway include Whiteford Wesleyan Church, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church and Lighthouse Church — all located in Ottawa Lake.

There are no requirements to receive food, but the church welcomes people to call ahead if they would like. For more information, call Crossroads Church at (734) 854-1301.

New Bethel COGIC hosts 12th annual Truth Marches On conference

New Bethel Church of God in Christ hosted its 12th annual Truth Marches on Conference in Toledo. A crowd of nearly 400 attendees packed the church, which spanned three days from March 9-11 and featured renowned musical guests and speakers, including Elder Christian Davis, Lisa Page- Brooks, Evangelist Sandra Riley, Pastor Smokie Norful and Dr. Marvin Sapp.

Dr. Marvin Sapp, Gospel recording artist and pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., told the audience a personal story of overcoming the death of his wife MaLinda Sapp and expressed his deep love for her.

He said to the audience, “Get married for the right reasons. Don’t get married for the wrong reasons. Find someone you can share your vision with.”

Sapp said losing his wife whom he referred to as his best friend was difficult, but said the Lord gave him strength to make it through his ordeal.

He delivered a powerful sermon based on Bible scripture Ezekiel chapter 37 titled “Valley of Dry Bones.” He immediately engaged his audience into his sermon by asking the congregation to look their closest neighbor in the eye and say “Live!”

Before leading the congregation into song, he said “Right now in this country, we are having problems with issues like the economy and foreclosure. And at times you may think you can’t make it. But just know you are still standing.”

Evangelist Sandra Riley delivered a sermon on the Bible scripture Book of Daniel, “Daniel and the Lion’s Den.”

She involved her audience into her message by telling them to look to their closest neighbor and say, “Neighbor, God is going to get you out of this.”

Riley’s sermon — which sparked much crowd reaction — applied the specific scripture to modern day issues. She spoke of negative people and obstacles that may get in the way in individuals’ lives.

Nellene Arnett and her brother Robert Arnett attended the event and said they were glad to be involved.

“It was a success I am glad to be involved,” Robert Arnett said.

Nellene Arnette agreed.

“A wonderful spirit came over me,” she said. “A word spoke to me as soon as I walked in the door. All I needed to hear from God, I heard from it tonight.”

Nellene Arnette further elaborated that Riley spoke to a situation she is currently facing.

“Everything she mentioned about Daniel and the Lion’s Den applied to what I am going through right now,” she said. “The message she got across was don’t let what people say or feel about you get in the way of what you’re doing for God. She said to keep your eyes on the prize and not be discouraged.”

Cecillia Wallace, coordinator of the Truth Marches on Conference, said she was pleased with the outcome of the event.

“The speakers did excellent,” she said. This is the third time Dr. Marvin Sapp has been with us and he is an awesome man of God.

Smokie Norful is just a dynamic speaker. This was the first time I had heard Evangelist Riley speak and I really enjoyed her as well.”

Wallace said the theme of the conference related to scripture John 8:32, which is “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” She said she thinks all attendees were inspired by this conference.

She said she was personally inspired by Dr. Sapp’s sermon “Live,” which was the basis for his message and also a universal message.

Referring to Sapp’s message, she said, “In spite of the obstacle in your life, you need to brush through them, trust the Lord and just live your life to fullest.”

Ward: God and Michael Ashford

Right from the beginning it did not appear that the Jan. 15 swearing-in ceremony for Michael Ashford’s new position as State Representative of District 48 was going to be ordinary.

It wasn’t the location of Indiana Missionary Baptist Church; swearing-in ceremonies have probably taken place in church halls. It wasn’t the number of people in attendance; swearing-in ceremonies have probably had more than 200 in attendance.

As Ashford’s wife, Ruth, gave the welcome, she shared a story about the Bible that was going to be used to administer the oath of office. It was given to her by her grandmother, who raised her. She had put it away in a plastic bag to preserve and save it. When Michael told her he wanted to use that Bible, she got it out of the bag, and a yellowed piece of paper fell out that said, “Matthew 19-26,” so she said she turned to that passage.

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible,” she quoted.

At another point in the ceremony, at least 30 ministers from area churches surrounded Michael and Ruth Ashford. As they laid hands on each other and on the Ashfords and prayed, some in the audience had tears on their faces.

“Toledo needs you,” was the closing refrain of the prayer led by Reverend John E. Roberts before the crowd gave a resounding, “Amen.”

Near the end of the program, the former District 4 Toledo Councilman made his remarks. He said the main focus of what he was going to say was directed at the youth who were present. He hoped what he would say would inspire or motivate them.

“God has a purpose for you and he had a purpose for me,” Michael said.

After thanking those who had supported him and sharing a few personal stories about some of those who were there, he stated he was going to share something that few people knew about. Something that he had not told his wife of more than a decade until three years ago, something that had happened almost 45 years to that date.

He said he first needed to share some of his family history for context. He was originally from Omaha, Neb. His paternal grandfather had 11 children one after the other. Due to this large family, he had “a ton of cousins” who were all fairly close in age.

Local ministers surround Michael Ashford at his swearing in ceremony

Ashford said every Saturday night they would go to one of the relatives’ houses and watch old scary movies. He reminisced about the popcorn they made and the bond they shared.

“So one night, myself and two brothers, along with two other cousins were supposed to go visit my Aunt Margaret, who had four kids, so I think she was going to end up with eight kids that night, maybe 11 at this stage. But because we were poor and we had unreliable transportation, myself and my two brothers did not attend the sleepover. Nor did my other two cousins. So the only people who were at my Aunt Margaret’s house were her four kids.

“I was very disappointed, as kids are. I’d never missed a single scary night hangout with my cousins in about a whole year since we had developed this. The next day my mother woke me up to say my cousins had died in a fire.

“God had protected me.

“It wasn’t luck, it was God,” Ashford said.

He said from that moment his mission to serve others was clear.

“It’s not the elected officials who can move this community forward, it’s people who are entrenched in our neighborhoods,” he said.

Ashford said there is much work to be done in Columbus. He has been assigned to serve on four standing Ohio House of Representatives Committees: Finance and Appropriations, Financial Institutions, Housing and Urban Development, Insurance and Public Utilities.

If you ask the lifelong Democrat, who said he prays every morning — he’s old fashioned in that he gets down on his knees every night to pray again — how he’ll face the upcoming challenges, he credits those who love and support him in his family and the community and his personal relationship with God.